Posts Tagged parents

Celebrate School Library Month

By on April 1, 2025   /   Oh MG News  
AALS School Library Month Logo with OMG

The month of April is known for many things. It’s National Poetry Month, of course. And it’s also American Heart Month, National Garden Month, National Autism Awareness Month, and National Financial Literacy Month. But guess what else it is…. April is School Library Month, and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) encourages us all to join them in both celebration and advocacy.

The idea for School Library Month originated in 1983 with Lucille Thomas, who was appointed to spearhead the School Library Month Committee by then AALS president, Judy King. The idea became a reality on April 1, 1985, which means that this year we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of School Library Month.

Our support for school libraries and librarians is more important now than ever. In many schools, libraries are under attack, librarians are being defamed, and books are being removed from shelves. It’s a critical time to be an advocate for the right to read, access to books, and the vital role played by school librarians.

AASL provides lots of free resources to help you promote School Library Month in your area. They offer an editable Canva infographic that allows you to share data from your own school library. They also provide access to proclamations made by various local officials that can be downloaded for use in your observance. 

Additionally, there are toolkits to assist administrators and other school library advocates in supporting their libraries and librarians. Administrators can learn about the AASL Standards and the strong correlation between school libraries and student achievement. Teachers, students, and parents can download templates for thank-you cards or read about ways to establish Secret Library Pals.

AASL also provides a downloadable copy of the Declaration for the Right to School Libraries. The first page identifies specific attributes of value that libraries contribute to our school communities – empowering individuals, supporting literacy, and preserving our nation’s cultural history, just to name a few. The second page allows space for school communities to create their own declarations.

Within the month of April, several related events are also identified on AASL site:

National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.

For #RightToReadDay, we’re asked to celebrate — and defend — the freedoms that are found in our libraries!

NLWD is a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers.

National Library Outreach Day (formally National Bookmobile Day) celebrates library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are.

Take Action for Libraries Day is a day to rally advocates to support libraries.

Now more than ever, it’s time to be an advocate for school libraries and school librarians. It’s easy to feel discouraged by book challenges and book bans. However, April delivers the opportunity to harness some springtime invigoration and show our support for school libraries and school librarians.

After all, in addition to being School Library Month, April is also the National Month of Hope.

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Library and Museum Activities for Middle Grade Readers

By on March 26, 2025   /   For Teachers  

It’s a good time to talk about libraries and museums—because it’s always a good time to talk about libraries and museums!

Libraries and museums have an enchanted, mystical vibe year-round. They are particularly good places to spend some hours in this “long-haul” part of the school year when winter’s festivities seem a distant memory, yet a lengthy grading quarter separates us from summer. Whether your library of choice is your school library media center, your local public library, a museum library, or one that houses a collection on a certain topic, you might lead your students through library-oriented activities such as these… or take advantage of them for yourself!

Then, follow up on new library learning experiences with a local museum visit that offers connections on topics of interest. Instilling a love of libraries and museums within middle graders during the last months of the school year will inspire them to continue their visits throughout summer—and in years to come.

Activities to inspire visits to libraries and museums for middle graders (or anyone!):

Do judge a book by its cover!  Head to age-appropriate stacks in your library and choose a book you have never heard of based only on the cover image. After reading some or all, consider:

  • Is the book a fit for your tastes?
  • How does the reading experience differ when you avoid learning anything about the book first?
  • Find a local or online museum exhibit about a topic featured in this book to expand your knowledge.

 

Share a favorite writer!  On a trip to the library, choose a middle grade novel by a favorite author. In a small group reading circle, trade choices around until everyone has a book in their hands by a writer they are unfamiliar with.

  • As a potential reader, peruse the book by reading the jacket copy, blurbs or reviews, the copyright page summary statement, and the first 2-3 pages.
  • Ask questions of the author fan who brought the book to the circle.
  • Then use critical thinking skills to explain why or why not the book is a likely contender for future reading. Keep track of your choices on a “To Be Read” list.
  • Swap books for perusing and consideration until everyone has 2-3 titles on their personal “TBR” list.

 

Travel to a book setting! Find a middle grade work in the library that represents a real setting far, far away for a travel experience via book.

  • The setting can be geographically far from home (to explore a new place) or far away in the past (for a historical journey).
  • Next, find a local museum online in that location and use online exhibits to read up on the region’s history.
  • Share your “journey” with other readers by creating a vintage-style travel poster for the setting in your book choice.

 

Amplify interest in libraries and museums! Devote some exploration time to learning more about libraries and museums themselves.

  • For students, “A Brief History of the Public School Library” has bite-sized, bulleted facts for further research.
  • For adult library lovers, DPLA’s “A History of Public Libraries” offers info on the development of library systems from colonial times.
  • If a museum existed that housed the world’s oldest museums, which ones would be included? This World Atlas list mentions some possibilities!
  • Or take a path less traveled and seek out the highly unusual museums around the U.S. for inspiring virtual visits. Rodeo? Neon? Pinball? There’s a museum for each of those and many other specialized topics!

 

Don’t forget that all visits to libraries and museums—both in-person and online visits—have a direct, positive impact on these institutions’ funding, success, and future!

Finally, stop by the library to check out some middle grade favorites that feature library and museum settings in the narratives! Here’s a short list to get you started. The New York Public Library has some great ideas for museum-set MGs, and the Boston Public Library shares some additional library settings!

Have fun on your library and museum excursions, and thanks for reading. We would love to hear more titles and activities; please share in the comments!

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